Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 11.djvu/273

 Peter Skene Ogden, Fur Trader. 251 Archibald McDonald, writing from Ft. Langley to Edward Ermatinger in March, 1830, remarks that "He (i.e. Francis Ermatinger) and Ogden with large parties are now to the Southward". And Mr. Ogden, himself, writing to John Mc- Leod from Vancouver on March 10th, 1881, states modestly: N "I was not so successful in my last years Trapping as the year preceding although I extended my trails by far greater distance to the Gulph of California but found beaver very scarce, and unfortunately below the main Dalles of the Colum- bia my own Boat was engulphed in a Whirlpool and 9 men were drowned. I had A most narrow escape". This (and Chap. I of "Traits" hereafter mentioned) is the extent as yet of our record of the expedition under Mr. Ogden that left Fort Nez Perces in the early fall of 1829 and visited California and returned in the summer of 1830. From the data appear- ing on the Arrowsmith maps it is fairly certain that he kept to the east of the Sierras most of the way down, and we can well imagine what sort of experiences he passed through. But we must remember that the name California on British maps then applied to all the region belonging to Mexico south of the 42nd parallel, and not to the California we now know as such. The letter of Mr. Ogden 's last quoted from continues : "On my arrival here I found from the Committee's Letter I was appointed to form an Establishment at a place called Nass about 10 degrees to the Northward of this and was to have sailed last Fall but an infectious fever made its appearance amongst the natives and carried off upwards of two hundred and our servants unfortunately took it and for three months we had not one at our command and we are now again making preparations for this same place. I know not what success I may meet with there but I am not of opinion our wealth will be increased". This letter is signed Peter Skein Ogden. After six years of life on the hurricane deck of a cayuse Mr. Ogden was ready for any change of scene, of climate and of die* -, but we may easily imagine that it took a little